English
O girl, I gave you to singhara villages, but your jaws are tired with chewing the shells. Apparently a good marriage, but it turned out to be a most unfor- tunate one. Singhdrd villages. — Villages wherein those people live who gather this water-chestnut. The Singhara is found in the lakes of Kashmir. It ripens in the month of October, when it is gathered by the people 121 in enormous qnantiiios. (Cf. "The Abode of Snow," p. 377 ) These people are called gAri-hdnz. The nats are sometimes fried with batter, and oaten with Bait and popper; but generally they are crushed into a flour or meal, of which cakes are made. These cakfM are eaten with f^i and salt, &c. To the girf-hAnz these water-oheit- nuts serve as a substitute for rioe. Kuti Jcuhur, The room fowl. An eavcs-dropper. KuUamut km hpuh rud darydvas manz hud pdndh Jehut bufk tah hariH luk. Like a wet dog if he remained in the middle of the river ho got drowned ; and if he climbed the bank he wetted the people. A man who is doing no good for himself or for others. Kutjuri hhyos huddk huni sandih hasah. The pup bit the man at the old dog's incitation. A great, respectable, man never boats a refractory sorvantj bat ilways gets another servant to do it for him. Ha8, an exclamation for stirring up a dog to fight. * Kutui gaijhah, giliye V* " Berih, berth, hhudh:' " Kihai harinih, giliye ?'* *• Thulan dinih phCth,'* *' Kdtiydh chhii, giliye r "JCa/t kih nah bah." *♦ MMh ditai, giliye ?" " Putrah mdz haiih.** " Kihai goh, giliye r* " Khudui luduk nih.** "Where are you going, O water-fowl?*' ** Along the path to the field." ** What are you going for, O water-fowl ?" " (Going for) — to sit on my eggs.** " Uow many are they, O water-fowl V* ** Eleven, or twelve (they may be).'* " Give one to me, O water-fowl/* ** By my son's life, I have none." ** Wliat's become of them, water-fowl?" ** God has destroyed them." Distress. A woman bereft of her children — any person at all miserable— is often heard chanting these lines in a most melancholy tone. 122 Kyali gav Harih Tsandar Rdeanih rane ! JLutush thawunpeih hane ; Topih mudus bozagune, Sofiah funk chhih hewdn zdldhwune. "What has happened to Hari Chandar, the Eijd's wife ! She has placed Lutdsh (her son) upon a stone ; And he has died from the hite of a snake. And the ** kawij liik " are taking golden paisds for the hum- ing. Chanted in a most melancholy tone by the Hindus in time of great trouble. Most Brdhmans can tell folio upon folios of stories concern- ing this Harischandra, who was once ruler over the whole world ; and then by way of alms parted with his wife and child and king- dom. It was after his separation from his wife, that the poor woman, now obliged to go into the jungle and cut her own wood, once laid her child upon a big stone, while she clomb a tree to cut off some of its branches, that a snake came forth from the grass and bit the boy, so that he died. Shevya was the wife's name, and the child's name was Lutash or Eohitdswa. Great was the grief of the woman, who somehow got back to her first husband Harischan- dra and told him what had occurred. Harischandra became over- whelmed with sorrow, and caring no longer to live, he at once went and sold himself for '* sonah tunk, t. e., the golden paisas wherewith to pay the " kdwij luk (or burners of tho dead) to bum his son's body. 123 Lahah Icolanih hanadarih. The tassel on the roof of Labah Kol's house. This man built a house bo high, that a man on the roof of it could not hoar any one in the court below, lot that man shout as loudly as he was able. It is a KashmiH custom to affix wooden tasspls to each comer of the roof by way of ornamentation. Cited when a man does not hear or accept Ldl shindsui sdnih Idlach hadr, A ruby-dealer will know the worth of a ruby. A bon chat, bon rat. Ldlan mulah mul. Price upon price (i.e., a great price) for rubies (but not for this article) . It is to the interoBt of the bnyer to depredate the goods in qnes- tion. Ldhtsli huddn tah pulaltarx phtrdn. The eunuch gets old and weaves grass shoes. Hard times for the old people who have not boon able to save for thoir old age. Grass shoes, or rather Handalw, are worn by the poorer clanea in Kashmir. LdhUhah garth sutuk. Sutuk in the house of an eunuch. An extreme improbability. The sixth day after a Biudii child's birth birch- wood is burnt in the house, and a lighted piece of it is passed around the head of the child and of all the persons present. This is the work of the mid- wife, and the custom is called sutuk in Kashmiri. After this puri- ficatory act the motlier is allowed to leave the room for a short time, Ac. Cf. Sanskrit word " sdtak." Laiitshas mdl halih tah ndl. An eunuch's property consists in his (jewelled) throat and (embroidered) garment. These eunuchs, who are all Muhammedans, are hired to sing at weddings or weep at funerals. They get a lot of money sometimes, but generally spend it all in jewels and embroidery work- They 124 are very particnlar about the work around the " ndl,'* literairy, the border of the garment, called the ' ' knrtah," round the neck and down the breast. Most extravagant work is lavished upon this part of their apparel. Ld-ph gaUinam mdph I God forgive my boasting ! Often cited by the Kashmiri, when he has promised to do any work. He is afraid lest God should become angry at his pride and check him. Lctr hJiewdn pdnas tah ddkar trdwdn beyis- He himself eats the cucumber, and belches in the face of the other man. An extremely selfish man. Jjar lorit tah hut. To pull down a house for a room. Cited when a thing costs more than it is worth. Ldri hini Ldhur. To go to Ldhor by way of Ldr. A roundabout way, on journey, or in work, Ldr is on the Ladak road. ' There is a tale in Kashmir about a man who was once asked where his nose was. He did not reply by at once putting his finger on that organ and saying *' Here it is ;" but he pulled up the right sleeve of his long cloak, and passing his right hand around his head, eventually and with great difficutly, touched his nose with it. Laren bats tah bafsan batah. A family is needed for the house and food is needed for the family. - An empty, desolate house, or a poverty-stricken familyj or a man without knowledge, &c. Zatah liwan* (Like a) spade for the feet to kick (and shove). A butt for the master's anger, &c. Laiih luanih laUhul. A besom instead of a tail. Turning good into bad. Jjatiye wethranih matiye di. O woman, you have come in a poor wretched state. Natives are great swells when they visit their relatives. This is quoted when any person docs not aiteud to this cufitom. 125 lAv hud gayih s/tv. A young intellect is rich. Lav — a boy between the ago of twelve ycare,— free from caro, and able to deyoto hinuielf entirely to study. Lazan mazdkh pazan. Unworthy people deserve to ho played jokes upon. Lej tah fehur chheh hunt ; manzbdg zdldn prtjih tul pdn, A Icj and ttkur are the same {i.e.y both are made from earth, both are employed in tho same work, both are heated in the same furnace, &c.), and the grass bums itself in the midst. Be oarofol not to separate friends, lest in so doing thoa destroy thyself. L^j and T^JIcur are two earthenware vowoli used in oookiiig ; one is a little bigger than tho other. L'j tih Uur^ gag tih tjur. The pot a thief, the fireplace, also, a thief. All of them thieves together. Lejih milawan. A sharer in the pot. Close friendship. Lt'Jeh chheh nah rek exh dalU Idrih. Abuse is not bird>lime that it will stain the hem of the garment. Lclispharufi ehhuh phaJc. To steal a pot is like a smell (certain to be detected). Lochih hanih bud han, A great matter from a little matter. An angry word sometimes causes murder. Log nah tah jog dv put phirit. Couldn't do the work — the lazy stupid fellow ; and so he returned. A man begins a work and is not able to finish it. LokachAr chhnh b^bih ndr. Childhood is without care. Behih ndr, lit., fire in the bosom. Eashmfris whilst squatting on the ground in the winter time place their kdngars under their long cloak next their skin. Give a Kashmiri a kdngar and ho is perfectly happy. UoQCO the words '* bcbih n^' come to mean without care. 126 Lokachdr chhui andahhdr. Childhood is darkness (i.e., the time for sowing wild oats), LdkacJidr chhui mdkahj&r. Childhood is freedom.